On Wednesday, Apple released version 10.8.2 of its OS X Mountain Lion operating system. The new version, a 665 megabyte download, offers the following fixes and changes:

Facebook:
– Single sign on for Facebook.
– Adds Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos.
– See Facebook friends’ contact information and profile pictures in Contacts.
– Facebook notifications now appear in Notification Center.

Other new features:
– Adds Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010).
– iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac.
– You can now add passes to Passbook (on your iPhone or iPod touch) from – Safari and Mail on your Mac.
– FaceTime can now receive calls sent to your phone number.
– New shared Reminders lists.
– New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them.
– Dictation now supports additional languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian.
– Dictionary app now includes a French definition dictionary.
– Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts.

General fixes:
– Adds an option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As.
– Unsent drafts are now opened automatically when launching Mail.
– Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone.
– URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center.
– Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used.
– Adds SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari.
– Adds a new preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages.
– Resolves an issue that may cause the “Enable Autodiscover” checkbox to always remain checked.
– Enables access to the Mac App Store when Parental Controls are enabled.
– Support for @icloud.com email addresses.
– Resolves a video issue with some VGA projectors when connected to certain Mac notebooks.
– Addresses an issue that may prevent Active Directory accounts from being locked out.
– Resolves an issue that may cause the policy banner to re-appear prior to logging in.
– Improvements to SMB.
– Addresses an issue with NIS users when auto-login is enabled.
– Addresses an issue in which the Keychain may not be accessible.
– Ability to pre-authenticate a FileVault protected system.
– Addresses an issue that may cause Xsan to not automatically start after migrating from Mac OS X Snow Leopard.

It may not be quite as snazzy as the iOS 6.0 release, but it’s still helpful to have updates.

On Wednesday, Apple released Mac OS X 10.7.5. The new operating system update, a 1.14 gigabyte download, offers the following fixes and changes:

– The 10.7.5 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac. It also includes Gatekeeper, a new security feature that helps you keep your Mac safe from malicious software by giving you more control over what apps are installed on your Mac.

– Resolve an issue where icons in Launchpad may get rearranged after a restart.

– Improve Wi-Fi reliability for iMac (Late 2009 and newer).

– Resolve an issue using Spotlight to search an SMB server.

– Improve compatibility connecting to Active Directory servers.

The Mac OS X 10.7.5 update is available for free and can also be located, snagged and installed via Mac OS X’s Software Update feature.

Mac OS X 10.7.5 requires an Intel-based Mac and Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later to install and run.

If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

Shared Photo Streams
– Share selected photos with the people you choose.
– Friends can view shared photos in Photos app, iPhoto and Apple TV.
– Friends can like and make comments on individual photos.

Passbook:
– One place for boarding passes, store cards, movie tickets and other passes.
– Barcode display for boarding flights, buying coffee, getting into movies and other actions.
– Passes displayed on Lock Screen based on time or location.
– Passes can be automatically updated.
– Supported on iPhone and iPod touch.

Phone improvements:
– Do Not Disturb to suppress incoming calls and notifications.
– ‘Reply with message’ option when declining a call.
– ‘Remind me later’ option based on time or location when declining a call.

Game Center improvements:
– Challenge friends to beat high scores and achievements.
– Post high-scores and achievements to Facebook and Twitter.
– Friend recommendations based on your Facebook friends.

Accessibility improvements:
– Guided Access to limit device to one app or restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen.
– VoiceOver integration with Maps, AssistiveTouch and Zoom.
– Support for Made for iPhone Hearing Aids for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S.

The exact cost of an iPhone 5 is still under wraps until the handset’s release on Friday, but there’s still a pretty good guess in the meantime.

Per a report released by iSuppli on Tuesday, Apple apparently pays an estimated US$207 to build the base model 16GB iPhone 5, a cost slightly higher than last year’s iPhone 4S.

The market research company noted in its report that while previously-expensive NAND flash memory prices have dropped, the iPhone 5’s display technology and 4G LTE wireless components brings the build cost up to US$207, or US$8 more than consumer pricing after wireless carrier subsidies. In comparison, the bill of materials, or price without labor costs, for last year’s iPhone 4S was estimated to be $188.

In total, the iPhone 5 is estimated to have a BOM of US$199, while the 32GB model rises to US$209 and the 64GB version jumps to US$230. With a manufacturing cost of US$8 across the line, the final cost comes out to US$208, US$217 and US$238 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, respectively.

A report last Friday from UBM TechInsights pegged the 16GB iPhone 5′ BOM to be around US$168, substantially lower than the IHS estimate.

The most expensive part in the iPhone 5 is the new 4-inch display which comes in at US$44. Apple is sourcing its screens from multiple suppliers, including LG Display, Japan Display and Sharp, as manufacturing the cutting-edge in-cell displays is complex and results in relatively low yield rates.

“The iPhone 5 makes a big evolutionary step in technology that we have not seen elsewhere with the use of in-cell touch sensing,” said IHS Senior Principal Analyst, Teardown Services, Andrew Rassweiler. “Most other smartphones LCDs use a completely distinct capacitive touchscreen assembly that is physically separate and placed on top of the display. The iPhone 5 partially integrates the touch layers into the display glass, making the product thinner and reducing the number of parts required to build display that senses touch without the need for a separate capacitive touch layer.”

Instead of sandwiching the touch sensing layer between glass substrates, Apple’s in-cell technology integrates the capacitive components with the LCD array, thus doing away with at least one layer of glass.

The company is expected to be using a US$34, LTE-capable wireless system from Qualcomm similar to the one found in the iPad 3. However, the new iPhone’s subsystem swaps out the first-generation MDM9600 baseband processor for the more advanced and power efficient second-generation MDM9615.

In previous years, NAND flash memory was one of the more costly components, however current prices have nearly halved in less than one year.

“NAND flash continues to come down in price as manufacturing processes for these memory chips become more advanced,” Rassweiler said. “And because it is the world’s largest buyer of NAND flash, Apple gets preferential pricing. Apple’s massive leverage in this market is reflected in our price estimate.”

Finally, the firm is estimating Apple’s new A6 processor is a bit more expensive at US$17.50 than the A5 found in the iPhone 4S, which cost US$15 in 2011.

A more comprehensive analysis of the new handset’s internal parts is expected to be completed later this week, when the iPhone 5 hits store shelves on Friday.

Per the full report by iFixit, Apple’s newly redesigned Earpod headphones have been taken apart to reveal a more durable design that is more resistant to water and sweat damage.

The teardown of Apple’s new EarPods was published on Tuesday and stated that the EarPods, which arrive free with iOS devices, are “still of the throw-away kind.”

The EarPods can also be purchased separately for US$29, which is how iFixit got their hands on the new accessory before the new iPhone 5 launches on Friday. The solutions provider used a guitar pick to separate the integrated volume controls and microphone on the headphone cord, while the earbuds were taken apart with an X-Acto blade.

“Like most speakers, the EarPod speakers consist of a diaphragm/cone, a voice coil, a permanent magnet, and a cabinet,” they explained. “The voice coil is supported by a composite diaphragm made of a paper cone and a polymer surround. This is the first iteration of Apple headphones to use paper cones rather than all plastic.”

The switch to paper cones is said to make the speakers more resistant to tearing. That’s an improvement from the plastic that Apple previously used.

In their teardown, the repair website found that Apple “had durability in mind” when the company designed the new EarPods. In particular, the redesigned controls include larger cable wrapping on both ends to reduce strain on the wires.

The EarPods are also said to be more resistant to water and sweat damage. This was accomplished by removing the external microphone grate Apple employed on its previous earbuds.

“Unfortunately, these products are still of the throw-away kind,” iFixit concluded. “Sourcing parts is next to impossible, and it would be a tough sell to convince someone to take apart their earbuds instead of buying a new pair. They will never be the same once taken apart.”

Apple unveiled its redesigned EarPods at the iPhone 5 media event in San Francisco, Calif., last week. Apple design chief Jony Ive said his company scanned hundreds of ears searching for commonality between them, and the new headphones are designed to fit the geometry of a user’s ear without creating a seal.

EarPods feature a directed speaker that points forward into a user’s ear canal. A second port on the back aids with mid-level tones, and also maximizes air flow for improved sound quality.